A Chef Walks Into a Mixed Martial Arts Studio

By

Jen Murphy

May 28, 2012 3:27 p.m. ET

Chef
Marc Vetri
likes to fight. "As a chef you have to have an outlet to let off some steam," he says. Nearly two years ago, Mr. Vetri took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a mixed-martial art that focuses on ground fighting and self-defense. Within two months he persuaded two of his chef/business partners to join him. Now, even some of his line cooks show up for Saturday morning fight sessions. "The workouts have become a bonding thing for the guys," he says.

ENLARGE

Chef Mark Vetri with trainer Rob Scheier at Precision Jiu Jitsu in King of Prussia, Pa.
Ryan Collerd for The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Vetri, 45 years old, oversees a mini Italian restaurant empire in Philadelphia that consists of Osteria, Amis, and the recently opened gastro pub Alla Spina. Another of his restaurants, Vetri, was recently nominated for America's "Outstanding Restaurant" by the James Beard Foundation.

Mr. Vetri took up jiu-jitsu after lower-back pain forced him to stop playing basketball. Both sports helped him deal with the stress of the restaurant kitchen. "In basketball you can throw an elbow. I needed a little bit of violence," he says.

Jiu-jitsu is less about throwing kicks and punches and more about grappling on the ground. "It's a lot like wrestling," says Mr. Vetri. But injuries do occur. "There have been some black eyes and fat lips," says his colleague
Brad Spence.
"My wife is always like, 'What happened to your face?' when she sees the inevitable mat burn."

ENLARGE

Mr. Vetri in the kitchen of Vetri, one of his Philadelphia restaurants.
Vetri Restaurante

Mr. Vetri says the physicality of jiu-jitsu is the perfect counterbalance to his 11-year yoga practice. Mr. Vetri met his wife during yoga class and the two, who have three young children, often practice together. "When I start my morning with yoga it just kind of centers me for the rest of the day," he says.

The Workout

On Friday and Saturday mornings Mr. Vetri and at least two of his fellow chefs meet for 90-minute workouts at Precision Jiu-Jitsu and Training Center in King of Prussia, Pa. The first hour is spent with an instructor practicing moves like a kneebar, a submission hold that extends the leg at the knee. The final 30 minutes are spent sparring in five-minute rounds, an intense cardio workout. "I can't just sit there and ride a stationary bike or the elliptical," says Mr. Vetri. "That's boring." The chefs usually spar four rounds. "That's 20 minutes of hard, exhausting wrestling," says Mr. Vetri.

Mr. Vetri also practices Mysore-style Ashtanga yoga for at least 1½ hours, four days a week, in the morning. The Mysore style is based on a fixed order of postures that students practice in a group setting at their own pace. He also has a dedicated yoga room in his home. "What a lot of people don't understand about yoga is that it's not about how far you can stretch or whether you can stick your leg behind your head....It's all about the breathing."

The Diet

Mr. Vetri constantly tastes new dishes. "I feel like I'm always snacking," he says. "But I try to have three meals a day." For breakfast he has toast with almond or sunflower butter. He recently started making vegetable juices. He tries to have sushi for lunch, and dinner is some type of pasta or fish, either at home or at the restaurant. And what happens when a chef goes out to eat? "Game over. Other chefs want to send you 20 things on their menu." His weakness is espresso. "I have six to seven cups a day," he says.

The Cost

Mr. Vetri spends about $180 a month for classes at Precision Jiu-Jitsu & Training Center. He spent about $100 on a gi—a kimono-like outfit comprised of pants, a jacket and a belt worn in jiu-jitsu. A monthly pass at the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia costs $150.

Family Time

Many Saturdays, Mr. Vetri brings his 5-year-old son to his jiu-jitsu workouts. "It's a lot of fun. We're just rolling around together on the mats," he says. "It's become a father-son outing, and now some of the other guys bring their sons along, too."

On the Road

Mr. Vetri travels a few times a month to various charitable events and food festivals. He seeks out jiu-jitsu and yoga studios in other cities. He and his wife found a Mysore workshop on a recent trip to Rome. "We'd do yoga in the morning and then just walk around and eat all day," he says.

ENLARGE

Mr. Vetri says the physicality of jiu-jitsu is the perfect counterbalance to his 11-year yoga practice.
Ryan Collerd for The Wall Street Journal

A Dictionary of Martial Arts

Racquel Kussman,
an instructor at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, Calif., describes the distinctions between different types of mixed martial arts.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu

A grappling sport performed on mats. "You use a choke or lock to control your opponent until they settle down, and then they tap you to signal submission," Ms. Kussman says.

Muy Thai

A combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking techniques. It is also called the art of eight limbs because it uses eight points of contact—punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes.

Karate

A Japanese martial art that uses punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, as well as open-handed techniques. It is performed standing.

Judo

Developed in Japan, judo means "gentle way." It uses throwing and takedown techniques as well as grappling on the ground, pins, control holds and choking techniques to subdue an opponent.

Taekwondo

A Korean martial art that emphasizes powerful kicks but also uses blocks, punches and open-handed strikes to take down an opponent.

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